The Vision (2/10/11): The nonsense of the missionaries

Image:  Scene from the Fijji Islands

How do we do men the most good? In his book Revolution in World Missions (GFA, 1986), the Indian missionary strategist K. P. Yohannan offers this story:

When commerce had been established with the Fijji Islanders, a merchant who was an atheist and skeptic landed on the island to do business. He was talking to the Fijjian chief and noticed a Bible and some other paraphernalia of religion around the house.

“What a shame,” he said, “that you have listened to this foolish nonsense of the missionaries.”

The chief replied, “Do you see the large white stone over there? That is the stone where just a few years ago we used to smash the heads of our victims to get at their brains. Do you see that large oven over there? That is the oven where just a few years ago we used to bake the bodies of our victims before we feasted upon them. Had we not listened to what you call the nonsense of those missionaries, I assure you that your head would already be smashed on that rock and your body would be baking in that oven.”

There is no record of the merchant’s response to that explanation of the importance of the Gospel of Christ.

When God changes the heart and spirit, the physical changes also. If you want to meet the needs of the poor in the world, there is no better place to start than by preaching the Gospel. It has done more to lift up the downtrodden, the hungry, and the needy than all the social programs ever imagined by secular humanists.

How will we do the most good to our neighbors? By preaching the gospel and pointing them to Christ.

Grace and peace, Pastor Jeff Riddle

Note: We will have our first Elder ordination service at CRBC this Lord’s Day in our afternoon worship service.